Stillwater, Chip Zdarsky and Ramón Pérez's haunting creator-owned series about a town where nobody dies -- and nobody is allowed to leave -- is set to receive a supersized special exposing its intricate mysteries.
Stillwater: The Escape teams Zdarsky and Pérez with a host of talented writers and artists, including Ethan Young (Nanjing: The Burning City, The Dragon Path), Jason Loo (The All-Nighter, The Pitiful Human-Lizard), Andrew Wheeler (Another Castle, DC Pride) and Soo Lee (House of Slay). Together, these creators will delve into the stories of new characters in the town, including those who have seemingly escaped its macabre, Twilight Zone-esque clutches. The one-shot also sets up the final chapter of the main Stillwater series, which is currently on issue #12.
CBR can offer an exclusive preview of Loo's story in the one-shot, which depicts the struggles of an immigrant family navigating the violence that bubbles under the seemingly idyllic exterior of Stillwater.
"It was a lot of fun creating a cast of new characters in the town of Stillwater and following their own experiences through the 'in-story' decades of events Chip and Ramon established," Loo told CBR. "My story introduces the Chung family, Chinese immigrants who have been there since the beginning."
Letting fellow comic professionals develop their own takes on Stillwater's themes of life, death and small town horror was one of the key reasons for publishing the one-shot, Zdarsky and Pérez said.
"Working on Stillwater has been a dream come true," Zdarsky explained. "But with an entire town of possible stories, it felt selfish keeping them all to ourselves, so Ramón and I are super excited to have these extremely talented creators exploring some of the eternal citizens of Stillwater!"
"Truly there is no bigger compliment than to have creators play in the sandbox you've helped realize," Pérez added. "I'm altogether flattered and excited to share what this wonderful array of talented creators has added to the mythos of Stillwater."
Stillwater began publication in September of 2020 and quickly won praise due to its depiction of immortality lurking within the confines of a frighteningly insular community. The titular town was based on Coldwater, a village that Zdarsky himself once lived in that had a population of only about 1,000 residents.
Stillwater: The Escape #1 goes on sale March 16 from Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.
Source: Image Comics/Skybound